On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 08:47:13 -0400, (Peter
Stickney) wrote:

The P-40Fs and P-40Ls were also outperformed by various
Allison-powered P-40 models as well.

Mmm, depends on height and chronology, though. Certainly in mid-1942
the Merlin engined variants were preferred for both the USAAF and RAF
on performance grounds over the contemporary Allison models. I think
that's easy to overstate, though. Production availability was the
main determinant. By 1943 there were only Allison variants being
produced, which is when (in the second half of the year) Packard
started to deliver Merlin 60-series engines. The Spitfire, Mosquito
and Mustang were all airframes with a better claim for the increased
performance of the Merlin 60 series than the P-40. Meanwhile, the
1943-vintage P-40s with Allison engines were clearly better performers
at lower altitudes, which is where most of their operational
employment took place, so there was no sense in using Merlin 20-series
production for them in 1943.

The single stage Merlins, while
very, very good engines, weren't the leap in performance over its
rivals that the 2-stage (60 series and up) engines were.

Sure, but I know the RAF specifically preferred the Merlin-engined
variants, and the allocations of USAAF-controlled P-40s indicates that
when Merlin-engined variants were coming off the production lines, the
USAAF wanted them in preference to Allison-engined variants being
produced at the same time, which they directed to lend-lease supply
for Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Russia. I appreciate the
performance differential involved was marginal, but it does seem to
have influenced procurement policy.

Having said that, those decisions were the ones made in early to
mid-1942, and by forces which relied on P-39s and Hurricanes for the
mainstay of their operational fighter strength. When exposed to the
FW 190, by early 1943, senior commanders in North Africa were
demanding better performance fighters than the P-40L and the Spitfire
V which themselves had been the favoured options less than a year
earlier.

A couple of points here - the Griffon's frontal area wasn't that much
more than the Spitfires, and it was notably wider only at the top of
the cylinder blocks and heads. It wasn't that much longer overall,
either, due to clever relocation of the engine accessories.
While the Griffon Spits may have lost some of the Spitfire's perfect
handling, it didn't lose much. and the Royal Navy was flying them
from carrier decks into the 1950s. I couldn't have been that bad.
(They chose to dump the Corsair and keep the Seafires, after all.)

Well, some of that comes down to the exigencies of supply politics,
e.g. the end of lend-lease and the termination of any substantive
dollar-procurement programmes due to lack of dollars. I think the
Seafire was an underestimated carrier fighter, but if I'd had the
option in late 1945 I would have kept the FAA on (certainly) Hellcats
and (possibly) Corsairs.

Gavin Bailey

--

But, first, want speed. Bart not greedy as all know. 250MHz enough.
I attempt use SGI chip in MB. But chip not fit, then I bend pins. Shove in MB hard.
Now apply hammer. Yeah, sit down, ****er! Power on, go BEEEEEP! - Bart Kwan En